


The Next Generation of Miraculous

by Clevergirl_28



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-01
Updated: 2019-06-01
Packaged: 2019-12-30 10:55:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 11,640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18314042
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Clevergirl_28/pseuds/Clevergirl_28
Summary: After Hawkmoth has been defeated, Marinette and Adrien Agreste settle down in America, far from the crazed fans and memories of Hawkmoth. They have a child together, Hugo. They have been training him to be the next Chat Noir. Soon he meets his new partner along with threats of a new Hawkmoth. Will they be able to stop them just like Marinette and Adrien?





	1. Who are you?

POV of Clara

I feel like someone is watching me as I skate down a calm, dark street. I always take this road home on my white longboard that seems to glow compared to the darkness around it. My arms and legs pump to move me forward with incredible speed. Skateboarding is liberating, it gives me a chance to think with a clear mind. 

I have never felt unsafe on this road before. It is always so beautiful at night. No one was there to distract from the tunnel of oak trees over the road. Each branch outstretched, all cut off at the same level from the trucks that would pass through here. 

Even through the beauty, I couldn’t find comfort. I couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was staring at me. I had read once that we are born with the ability to sense if someone or something was watching us. It was an adaptation to help us know when we were spotted by predators a long time ago. I looked back and there was no one. I looked to my left and right and couldn’t see anything through the trees rushing past me. I looked behind me once more and noticed a trail of leaves on the ground. Leaves were falling in my wake from the trees above. 

I slam my foot down and skid to a stop. I hear loud rustles in the trees above me. Then I hear someone let out a yelp and a few grunts as they hit several branches on their way to the ground. They land with a thud on the grass next to the road. I stand there frozen with fear not knowing what to do. My heartbeat throbbing in my ears, making it hard to focus. I could turn around and run away or I could help the person that just fell out of the tree. I debate it in my head and decide that both would be a bad idea. Where was I supposed to run to? Back to work? No one would be there, my boss left at the same time as me and she’s the only one with a key. Everything close by would be closed this late at night. If I keep going straight to get home, I have to go right past the guy who is slowly sitting up. 

He has his hand on his head and the other on the ground, pushing him up. I can only see his silhouette and not much more. He looks up at me with green, glowing, mesmerizing eyes. I’m awestruck. His eyes…. they didn’t look normal. They look like cat eyes, glowing in the night.

He stands up cautiously. “I didn’t expect you to stop so suddenly.” He calls out to me with a chuckle. My heart is racing, my throat feels like it’s clamped shut and I’m sweating like crazy. He starts to walk over to me and my stomach twists into knots. I back up in fear, tripping over my board. I land on the asphalt with a painful thud. My board slides from under my feet, right to the strange man with the cat eyes that shine in the darkness. He catches it with his foot and he picks it up and runs over to me.

“Are you ok?” He asks concerned. He extends his hand and steps close enough so that I can see him. He has beautiful blond hair, an adorable smile, and those eyes. I can’t explain them. They have this sort of cunning and mystery to them that made them unexplainably sexy. 

I realize that he’s still holding out his hand that has sharp claws instead of nails that looks like they could tear through almost anything. He’s also wearing black gloves that connect to his black sleeves. I grab his hand and in one effortless pull, I’m on my feet. 

I’m still in a daze and I just study him. He’s in some sort of costume. It looks like a cat. He has large black ears that sit perfectly on top of his golden hair. He has a black mask that covers everything around his eyes. His suit is tight and all black. It accents every muscle he has. His chiseled abs, his pecs, his biceps, and toned legs. He is about six inches taller than me, making him 5’11”. It’s hard to tell with the mask and costume on but I think he’s around 16, the same age as me. I snap back to reality and I have so many questions. 

“Why were you following me?” I ask him. “Uhhhh…..” his swagger disappears and I can see the flustered red on his cheeks, even in the dark. “It’s not safe for people to travel alone this late at night.” He says trying to hide something.

I know he’s lying, he’s terrible at it. “Right….. it’s not like I take this road almost every night on my way home.” I say sarcastically as I cross my arms. “I just wanted to make sure you made it home safely.” He says as he looks down at the ground, embarrassed, but irresistibly cute. “Just one last question, who are you?” I ask him. 

He looks up and meets his eyes with mine. That’s when I realize that his eyes are cat eyes. Where the pupils should be were black slits. His eyes were still gorgeous, it just caught me by surprise. “The name’s Chat Noir. And yours?” He asks me in return. “Clara” I tell him. “Well, Clara, let’s get you home.”


	2. What was that?

POV of Clara  
Chat Noir hands me my skateboard. I grip my hands around it when a twig snaps in the woods behind Chat Noir. One of the large, black ears on top of his head, points in that direction. I had no idea those were his real ears, that startled me more than his eyes. 

His head snaps in that direction and he crouches down like he’s ready to pounce. He reaches behind his back and grabs a silver baton that was attached to his belt. He clicks a green paw print on the side and it extends with a satisfying 'shing'. 

“Stay still” he whispers to me over his shoulder. I don’t move a muscle. I cower behind him, skateboard tucked close to my chest. I hear a growl from the dark of the woods and a shiver creeps it way over my skin. Chat sinks deeper into a pouncing position, waiting for the animal to jump out from the tree line. “C’mon!” Chat yells out into the darkness.

A large animal comes bounding from the tree line. It looks like some sort of feline, a mountain lion maybe? Chat runs toward it and spins his baton around and swipes its legs from underneath it, sending it skidding across the ground. It struggles to get up and growls deeply at Chat. It pounces on him and Chat pushes it off him with his legs. He gets up and pounces on the animal and holds it down on the ground. It starts snapping at his face but can’t reach him. Chat hisses at the animal, bearing his fangs, and it stops struggling.

He lets go and the animal and it gets up quickly and runs back into the forest. He casually walks back to me. I stand there in horror.

“What was that? Was that mountain lion?” I ask him, still shaking. “Well, that was a cougar, but they’re the same thing, so yes. It just a big cat. All I had to do was show him I am the bigger and stronger cat.” He says with a little too much ego. “You showed him by hissing at him?” I ask still not being able to process what just happened. “When you put it that way, it sounds stupid!” He says, irritated. I laugh and he perks up. “Your laugh is beautiful” he murmurs quietly. It catches me off guard and I start blushing like crazy. 

“I’ll walk you home, just in case I have to show more cougars who’s boss.” I giggle again as I tuck my board under my arm. We start walking. I can’t help but ask more questions, I’m just so confused. Cat dude was a little too close to being a cat for it to just be a costume and a crazy good workout program. 

“So...are you a superhero?” I ask him. “Kinda, my dad was the original Chat Noir back in France. After defeating Hawk Moth, the notorious supervillain, there was nothing left to fight, so he moved here with my mom, aka Ladybug to get away from all the fans. They wanted to go somewhere they weren’t well known. I can’t tell you their real names because then you could figure out who I really am under the mask. When I turned 16, my dad gave me his Miraculous.” He says as he shows me his ring. 

It’s mostly black with some silver accents. It had a glowing green paw in the middle. “My kwami, gives me my power. His name is Plagg and sometimes he can be a pain in the ass, but he’s the best kwami a guy can ask for.” He says as he looks at his ring. 

“What powers do you have?” I ask him. “Super strength, heightened senses, agility, and this power called cataclysm. It gives me the power to completely destroy anything I touch. But the downside is that I only have one chance to use it and after I do use it, it’s only a matter of minutes before I transform back. If I do turn back, I have to feed Plagg some cheese to give him his energy back before I can transform again.” He tells me.

“What happened to your mom’s Miraculous?” I ask him. “She still has it. I don’t have a sister for her to give it to, so she told me she would choose a partner for me. Don’t ask me how, she refuses to tell me but I trust her, she’s very intelligent. I wish she would decide already, the suspense is killing me.” He says with excitement and wistfulness in his eyes. 

“Why are the Miraculous heroes needed again? Are we in danger?” I ask him. His face sinks from his excitement to despair. “Hawk Moth is back.” He says gravely. “Not the original, but he passed it on to another. He’s kinda his apprentice, but no matter his title, it’s not a good thing. Hawk Moth’s one goal was to get mom and dad’s Miraculous to achieve ultimate power and he could make one wish. I don’t know what the wish was because he never succeed, thanks to my parents. Now it’s my turn and the future Ladybug’s turn to defeat the newest Hawk Moth and stop the reign of terror once and for all.” He says with determination in his voice. 

We walk about a minute more and arrive at my house. “This is my stop,” I tell him. “Stay safe Clara, it was awesome meeting you but you cannot tell anyone about what I told you tonight.” He says very seriously. “I promise, I understand how imperative it is that no one knows about this,” I reassure him. 

He starts to walk away, but then turns around and pecks me lightly on the cheek and I blush like crazy. 'Don’t you dare fall for him!' I tell myself. “Good night, Clara. If you need me, I’ll be here for you.” 'Too late' a voice in my head said. Then he turns around and extends his baton which pushes him up to the trees. The next thing I knew, he was gone.


	3. She's Amazing

POV of Hugo  
“Claws in,” I say as I slip into my window. The costume disappears in a flash of green light and I start heading downstairs. My body still ached from falling out of that tree. 

That was so embarrassing, she’s going to think I’m a stalker, or a clutz, or both. My face turns red and I sighed knowing that was probably the most embarrassing thing I’ve ever done. She probably never wants to see me again. Don’t even get me started on that kiss. That was a ‘kiss your grandmother on the cheek goodbye’ kiss.

“I’m hungry!” Plagg wines in my ear. “Yeah, yeah, so am I. We’ll get you some cheese from the kitchen.” I turn the corner at the bottom of the stairs and step into the kitchen. “Hey honey, hey Plagg, how was patrol?” Mom asks me as she is washing dishes. “It was nothing out of the ordinary,” I tell her. 

“Hugo has a crush on this girl that we just met tonight that we saved from a cougar. She probably wouldn’t have been attacked by a cougar if we had just not followed her and let her keep going.” Plagg blurts out. 

“Plagg! What the heck!” I chided. “Was she pretty?” mom asks me without looking up from the dish she was washing. I started to think about her and it was if it flipped a switch and I lost all my wits. “She was just amazing! Beautiful, adorable, feisty. I can’t handle all that! She was just so independent.” I explained to mom 

“Hugo!!! I want my Camembert!” Plagg yells at me. “Ok! Fine! I’ll get you your Camembert.” I get up and open up the mini fridge that we keep stocked with Camembert. Dad knows how much of a pain Plagg can be when there’s no Camembert. I hand him a slice and he scarfs it down. “Happy now?” I ask him frustrated. “Yes, thank you very much.” He says with his usual level of sass. 

I sit back down and think about Clara again. “So, how did you come across this girl?” Mom asks. I was so distracted by the thought of her that I didn’t realize that I just started blabbing everything. 

“When I saw her on her skateboard, I just couldn’t take my eyes off her. She’s perfect. Her long, black hair danced behind her in the wind. She was perfectly shaped. Her strong legs pushed her along so quickly I was finding it harder than I thought it would be to keep up with her. Her toned arms helped push her along. She had a tight, small waist. When I saw her face, I couldn’t help but stare. She had stunning eyes that pierced through the night. They were blue like yours. She had freckles that lined the bridge of her nose and this adorable focused face on that was soooo cute!” I suddenly realized that I was saying all of this out loud, to my mom. 

“She sounds like quite the girl. You know I used to be the same about your dad.” She says with a giggle. I turn bright red and Plagg snickers in the corner. I turn around and give him the famous 'watch it or you might not get any Camembert tomorrow' glare. He stops laughing. I roll my eyes and turn back around.

“Oh, and your class list came today. It’s the same as last year except for one name I don’t recognize.” She says as she hands me the list. I read through and I freeze when I read the ‘unfamiliar name’. “It can’t be… Clara?” I say under my breath. 

“I’ll be in my room!” I yell as I run out of the kitchen. “You’re not hungry?” Mom yells after me. “Nope, not hungry!” I yell back. I run up to my room and shut the door. “Plagg, I can’t believe this! Clara is going to be in my class this year! Can my life get any better?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!   
> I hope you are enjoying this so far and I will be accepting ideas for future chapters if there is anything you would like to see, comment and I'll consider it.   
> I would also appreciate if you checked out my art Instagram, I put the design for Hugo on there and some other stuff as well.  
> My user name is: clever_girl28 if you want to check it out.   
> Until next time!


	4. The First Day

POV of Hugo  
“Hugo! Your going to be late for school!” Mom yells at me. “Coming!” I yell back. 

“How do I look Plagg?” I ask him. “Like you always do? Why, did you do something different?” He says. “No! I mean do I look good?” I ask starting to get annoyed. “Like I told your dad a long time ago, your going to need a face change in order to look good.” He says laughing. “But, dad’s a famous model,” I tell him, confused. “I’m just kidding! Relax, you look exactly like he did when he was your age.” He says, sincere this time. “Thanks Plagg. Alright, time to go to school.” 

I walk out of the house and start walking to school. I’m walking past the park that’s right next to school and I see Clara skateboarding on the paths through the park. She looks so good, how can anyone look so good this early in the morning? 

“What are you looking at?” Plagg asks me. “Nothing,” I say too quickly. I turn my head away from him so he wouldn’t see me blushing. He looks around and spots Clara. “Ooooo, someone’s got a case of the love bugs!” He says snickering. “Shut up and hide before someone spots you.” I whisper to him. He hides and I arrive at school.

Clara pulls up on her skateboard and picks it up. She neatly tucks the board under her arm and walks up the steps. She doesn’t even acknowledge me. “You do realize that she met Chat Noir and not Hugo, right?” Plagg reminds me. “Oh, ya, right.” I say, slightly disappointed.

I walk up the steps into the school and go to my classroom. I walk in and Clara is looking for a place to sit. I sit down in an empty desk that’s right next to another empty one. I wave Clara over and she walks toward me. Suddenly I get nervous and butterflies appear in my stomach. “H-hey, do you w-want to sit-t here?” I ask her. What was that? Why was I stuttering? “Sure! Thanks!” She says with an adorable smile. One look at that beautiful smile and my brain shuts down. I can’t focus. 

She sits down and extends her hand. “My name’s Clara Martin, what’s yours?” She asks me. “My name’s Hugo Agreste.” I respond with a friendly smile and a handshake. “You mean the famous fashion company Agreste?” She asks me, blatantly excited. 

I don’t really like to talk about the fact that I’m a model, it gives people the impression that they won’t really be able to be friends with me. They assume that I’m snobby, stuck up and stupid. I’m really not, I’m pretty much just the same as everyone else. 

“Yes, my mom is a famous designer and my dad models and runs the company. I model too but I don’t design. I’m really not that creative.” I say quietly. I hope no one else heard our conversation. I like not to remind people that I’m a model but they kinda always treat me like….well a male model. 

“Do you not want to be a model?” She asks me. “I don’t mind it. I’m not gonna lie, it has its perks but it does have downsides. For example I have almost zero free time. Another is everyone has this stereotype around the term ‘male model’ that isn’t who I am at all.” I respond. 

Our conversation is interrupted by Aria who sits down on the other side of Clara. “Hey! I’m Aria Clark, what’s your name?” She asks Clara. “Clara Martin, nice to meet you Aria.” She responds. They start talking but all I can do is stare at her in amazement. It was just like last night. Her independence and confidence shone like a flashlight in the dark. 

Not long after, my best friend, Jacob, walks in and starts ranting about his annoying younger brother. It was something about his brother hiding his shoes but I didn’t really listen. I’m too focused on Clara. 

Mrs. Dodds walks in and begins to teach. Clara starts to take notes and her eyebrows furrow and she makes the most adorable focusing face, just like last night. The next thing I know Jacob is nudging me and I’m back to earth.

“Hugo!” Mrs. Dodds snaps. “Sorry, could you repeat the question?” I say now embarrassed and red as a tomato. I guess I didn’t notice her calling on me. 

Later on the bell rings and the first day is over. I watch as Clara leaves on her skateboard.

I’m supposed to meet Jacob on the steps after school so we can walk home together. He lives about two blocks away from the school and I pass his house on the way home. Twenty minutes and about ten text messages later I get tired of waiting. I decide to go and look for him.

I walk back into school and decide to look in the classroom. I walk over to the room but the door is locked for the day. I check all of the classrooms, all of them are locked. I decided to check the bathrooms next.

I’m about to open the door when I can already hear a sound that I am all too familiar with. The sound of a fight breaking out. 

I rush in and see Jacob being held down on the tile floor and being repeatedly punched by Kevin Burgess. Simon is in the corner, just watching like it is entertainment. “You’ll never be shit! You really think that someone like you, from a family with no money, no reputation, no nothing will end up anywhere but behind a garbage truck. If you think that, then you’re even more dumb than you look.” Kevin says to Jacob while he continues to hit him. 

Luckily, Kevin isn’t strong enough to do a ton of damage. I spring into action not even stopping to think. I use a little bit of moves that I learned from being Chat Noir. I roll over Kevin’s back while he’s leaned over Jacob and pull him to the ground with me. I end up on top and start punching him.

I’m much stronger than him and do way more damage to him than he ever could do to Jacob. Anger and ferocity blinding me from what is just and right. 

Jacob pulls me off of Kevin before it gets too bad. I realize Simon is gone when I regain my senses. I look down at Kevin and his eye is purple and his nose bloody. “Don’t you ever do that again or I’ll be back to break your arm.” I tell him in an intimidating ‘Chat Noir’ voice. 

I grab Jacob and help him walk out. “Are you ok? What happened?” I ask him concerned. “I was just using the bathroom, just before I was about to meet you. I had a flyer in my hand that was about the academic scholarship opportunities for college. They kept telling me that I was stupid and didn’t deserve to go to college. They told me that I would never even make it to college. I tried to throw a punch but…. I was the one who ended up getting hurt.” He tells me, his voice cracking. 

He turns away from me, not wanting to let me see him cry. “You do know that none of that stuff was true right? You’re one of the smartest people I know!” I try and reassure him. 

It is true, he is one of the smartest people I know. He studies non stop, working day and night for any scholarship he could. He has already accomplished so much and now he’s going to doubt himself? It is all Kevin’s fault too. I have no idea what Kevin has against anyone. Everyone at this school is nice besides him and Simon.

“But what if I’m not? What if I never get a degree and can’t support my family, my mom, my sister, my brother. I can’t let them down but if I’m not good enough, I’m just not good enough.” He says with an expression that is wracked with anxiety. 

“It’s going to be ok, I know it,” I tell him. I didn’t know how it was going to be ok, but I was going to do everything I could to make sure that it is. “C’mon, let’s get you home,” I say as we walk towards the exit of the school.


	5. I'm the new what?

POV of Clara  
I’m on the way home and going back down that road made me think about Chat Noir again. Soon, I pull into the garage on my skateboard and go inside. 

“Hey sweetheart, how was your day?” dad asks me as I walk in the door. “It was good, how was yours?” I respond. “It was good, lots of business.” Dad owns a hardware store downtown. That’s the perk of being the boss, he can make his own hours. He usually goes back to work when I go to work. I’m a waitress at a local cafe. 

“Oh and before I forget, this package came for you today,” He says as he hands me a small, cardboard box. “Hmm, I don’t remember ordering anything,” I say. I shrug it off and go to my room. 

I set the box on my desk and use the scissors to open the box. Inside is a black hexagonal box with weird red markings on the top. “What the…,” I say as I pick it up out of the box. 

It opens with a click and a flash of red light burst from the box. I yelp and drop the box. A red orb floats toward me as I scramble backward onto my bed. The orb fades to reveal a tiny floating creature. I sit on my bed, wide-eyed and terrified. 

It is red with black spots. It has large blue eyes and a small mouth. It has antennas that drape behind its head. 

“What are you!” I say terrified. “My name is Tikki! I’m your Kwami.” The thing says. “You can talk?” I ask her. “Yes, I know this is very confusing but you just need to calm down and listen very carefully.” She tells me.

“Honey! Are you ok?” Dad yells from the kitchen. “Yes, dad! I’m fine,” I yell back. 

“You are the new Ladybug!” she tells me. “I’m the new what?” I ask, very confused. “No, I can’t be. You have the wrong person.” I tell her. 

“Clara, there hasn’t been a mistake. You are the chosen one, you are the one who will battle Hawk Moth, a terrible villain, alongside another superhero named Chat Noir.” She explains. “Oh ya, Chat told me about him, about the absolute power thing,” I tell her. “You’ve already met Chat?” She asks me. “Ya, he saved me from a cougar last night. He’s so dreamy.” I say blushing so hard. 

“Right…. You do realize that he wasn’t supposed to tell you any of that?” She tells me, obviously irritated. “Oh well, too late now. So, do I get a cool costume like Chat? And powers too?” I ask getting excited. I get to spend more time than anyone else with Chat Noir! 

“Yes, all you have to do is put on the earrings in the box and say ‘Spots on’. But before you do that, there are just a few more things. Your weapon is a yo-yo. You can use it to capture these things called akumas. An akuma is a purple and black looking butterfly that turns innocent people into villains. The akumas get their powers from negative emotions that their hosts give off. Only you have the power to capture akumas. It is imperative that you de-evilize the akuma or it will multiply and akumatize more innocent people. Your superpower is the Lucky Charm. If you use it while battling an akuma it will summon an item to help you defeat the akuma. You only get one Lucky Charm per transformation, so use it wisely. After you use your Lucky Charm you only have a few minutes before you transform back. This would be bad because no one can know your identity, not even Chat Noir. Once you transform you can contact Chat through your yo-yo. You should probably meet, but don’t let him know that he’s met you before. He’s met Clara but not Ladybug. In order to transform you have to say the phrase ‘Spots on’” She tells me. “Right, I got it.” 

I get up off the bed and and grab the box off the floor. The earrings are red with black spots. I take my other earrings out and put the new ones in. “So I just say the phrase and I’ll get powers and a costume?” I ask “Yes, go ahead and say it! Oh, and one more thing. When you say the phrase, I’ll be sucked into the earrings and I won’t be able to help you during your battles.” She warns me. 

“Got it! Spots on!” The next thing I know there are flashes of red lights dancing all over the room. A mask appears, a tight suit replaces my clothes. It’s red with black spots, and it covers everything from my neck to my feet. The suit moves comfortably with me and is really good looking with black accents around my shoulders, chest, wrists, and ankles. A string is wrapped around my waist with some sort of circle thingy. I think it's the yo-yo Tikki was telling me about. My hair is tied up into a high ponytail by a red ribbon and the transformation is complete.

I grab the yo-yo and study it. I slide the top up and a screen appears. I click on the phone icon and the only contact I have in it is Chat Noir. I hit call and it starts to ring.


	6. You did what?

POV of Hugo  
“Hugo, come sit down, I have to tell you something.” Mom says right when I walk in the door.

“Is everything ok?” I ask nervously as I sit down on the couch next to mom. “Of course everything is ok. What I wanted to tell you is…. I have chosen a new Ladybug.” She says with an excited grin on her face. 

“You did what?” I say completely shocked. “Are you not happy?” She asks me. “No I am, but I never really thought this day would come, I’m not prepared for this. What if I don’t like her as a partner? what if she doesn’t accept it? what if-” Mom brings me into a comforting hug and I realize that everything is going to be ok. 

“You trust me don’t you? I think I know what to look for in a Ladybug.” She says with a chuckle. 

“When will I get to meet her?” I ask her. “When Tikki and Plagg decide it’s the right time” She says. “Ugh, I don’t want to wait that long.” I tell her. “Tikki and Plagg both told me that they don’t think it will be that long till there's another akuma attack, if you don’t meet before then. Since they think Hawk Moth is on the rise again I thought it would be smart to choose a new Ladybug now, I was going to wait a bit longer but Tikki told me not to.” She tells me. 

“Uhh, guys?” Plagg buts in. “Something's happening, with both Ladybug and Hawk Moth,” Plagg says, worried. “Is Ladybug ok?” I ask concerned. “She’s fine, she just put on the earrings and transformed. But Hawk Moth just put on his Miraculous as well.” Plagg says. “I should go. Plagg! Claws out!” I transform and head up the roof.

I’m about to go when I start to get a call. “It’s from Ladybug!” I answer it. “Hello?” I hear a shy voice say on the other side. “Hey, it’s Chat Noir. Is this Ladybug?” I respond. “Yes, Tikki told me that we should probably meet up. How does the park downtown by the school sound?” She suggests. “Sounds good to me, meet you there.” She ends the call and I start freaking out. I can’t believe this day is finally here! The Chat Noir and Ladybug team is back together.

I’m almost to the park when something knocks my baton out from underneath me. I go flying and land with a thud. “Oooooouuuuuch,” I groan as I rub the back of my head. I look up and I’m at Ladybug’s feet. 

“Oh, hi” I say embarrassed. I get up quickly and give her a cheeky smile. “Are you ok? You just fell out of the sky!” She says with a look of shock on her face as she picks up my batton and hands it to me. “I thought cats are supposed to land on their feet?” She says with a giggle. She is, in all honesty, very beautiful. She has long black hair that's put into up neatly into high ponytail. Her blue eyes contrast beautifully with the red and black of the costume. She looks nervous but I’m pretty sure that’s just because all of this is very new.

“Ya, I’ll be fine. I’m Chat Noir by the way, nice to meet you in person.” I say as I extend my hand. She shakes my hand firmly and confidently. “It’s nice to meet you Chat Noir but I think that introductions are a formality that we don’t have time for.” She says as the points behind me.

I turn around and there are people running in terror from a large cloud of smoke in the sky. She was right, we need to take action and quickly. We run out of the park and down the street. It’s like swimming upstream. There were crowds of terrified citizens stampeding towards us, we weren’t making any progress. I tried pushing and shoving my way through but they just kept coming.

“Let’s travel by rooftop!” I call out to Ladybug. I extend my baton and let it carry me to the top of the roof. Ladybug throws her yo-yo and it wraps around a post. The string retracts and pulls her up with it. 

I run down to the end of the block right next to Ladybug so we can reach our enemy. We jump down from the rooftops as the last of the civilians scatter down the different roads away from Hawk Moth’s first victim. He turns around to show his face. I immediately recognized him “Jacob?” I gasp quietly.

“What did you say Chat?” Ladybug asks me. “Nothing, I just thought I recognized him,” I say. I hate lying to her but I have to keep my identity a secret, she can’t even know if I recognize someone. 

He has a dark hood over his face but I can still see the injuries from the fight earlier that day. Around his eyes is the purple illuminated symbol of Hawk Moth. Mom and Dad explained to me that when I see this symbol that meant Hawk Moth is communicating with the victim. 

There is deep sorrow and terror in Jacob’s eyes. He has the same anxiety-ridden look from after the fight with Kevin. His hood is connected by a chain around his neck and flows down as a cape. His outfit is grey with black details that look kind of like smoke around the hands and feet. A mysterious fog is billowing from under his cape. Soon the symbol around his eyes disappears and Ladybug and I hold our weapons at the ready. 

Ladybug looks at me and gives a nod that shows that she was with me. I return the nod and rush towards Jacob


	7. Snap out of it Chat!

POV of Clara  
We are sprinting towards the akumatized victim when he holds his hand up and closes it firmly shut. Some of the mystery fog rushes towards Chat like a dagger being thrown. It hits his chest and dissipates. Chat stops dead in his tracks and develops a cloudy look in his once clear and sharp eyes. 

“Unless you want your partner to suffer unimaginable torments, I wouldn’t take a step further.” I stop as well and I don’t dare move. 

“I am the Anxietor, I can recreate your greatest anxieties. I can make you as if feel your anxieties are coming to life, just as I have felt.” He hisses evilly. He laughs maniacally as the fog under his cape snakes towards Chat Noir and coils around his body. With a snap of the Anxietor’s fingers, the fog disappears around Chat. 

“Chat?” I call out to him timidly. He presses his head between his hands and staggers backwards. He falls onto his knees, hands still pressed up against his temples like he’s going to crush his head between his hands. He groans and winces more and more with every passing second. 

“What have you done to him!” I yell at the Anxietor as I get my yo-yo ready to attack. “He is currently living through his worse anxieties.” He says and then closes his eyes. “He fears that he will fail, he will lose everyone, and it will all be his fault. He fears that Hawk Moth will take his Miraculous and yours as well and he will be to blame. His greatest anxiety is that he will fail when it matters most and will lose those that matter most to him.” The Anxietor says. He opens his eyes and a malicious grin spreads across his face. “Your turn…” He says as he points the palm of his hands at me. 

He open fires with his fog daggers and I successfully dodge them. I look at Chat Noir and he is curled up on the ground, shivering, wincing, muttering indistinctly. He can’t take much more of this before he loses all the sanity he has left. I decide that now is the right time to use my power. “Lucky Charm!” I yell as I throw my yo-yo into the air. A bag of ice lands in my hands. “How the heck is ice going to help me?” I say desperately. The Anxietor laughs. “You think you can beat me with a bag of ice?” He says as he raises his hands to fire. 

I use my yo-yo and tie his hands together. Then I bring the string around his back to hold his hands against his body. The fog gathers under his feet and gets in between his body and the strings of the yo-yo. I notice as he controls the fog, the cape moves as well, maybe if I destroy the cape, he won’t be able to control the fog. I need Chat’s cataclysm but he’s out of service at the moment. 

I look at the bag of ice that’s still in my hand. I look up and time has slowed down almost to a halt. I look around for what to do with this stupid bag of ice. Then I look at Chat and something clicks, it’s like I know exactly what do, and I didn’t have any time to waste. The Anxietor was almost free. 

Time speeds up to normal and I run over to Chat who was still writhing on the ground and muttering words that are hard to understand. “Come on Chat, snap out of it.” I pour the ice onto his head as I say “Snap out of it Chat!” The fog leaves his eyes and the slits of his eyes narrows as he regains consciousness. 

He sits up panting with a pained expression on his face. “I thought I lost-, I thought I lost everyone....” His voice trails off. I sit next to him as he regains his wits and I struggle with the string that is being untangled by the fog. 

Chat rests his hand on my cheek in disbelief. “You're ok!” he finally realizes. His eyes fix on The Anxietor, and this time, Chat is the one shooting daggers. “You! You did this!” Chat got up to run and tackle The Anxietor but I knew that was a death trap. I grab his tail and yank him back. 

I can’t hold both Chat and The Anxietor. With one tug, The Anxietor pulls the yo-yo from my hand and sends it skidding across the pavement. The string recoils and The Anxietor is free. 

“Chat, I need you to destroy his cape, that’s where the fog is coming from,” I tell him. “Got it! Cataclysm!” he yells. A dark mist appears around his right hand. I can feel the darkness radiating off this mist. I can feel its power pulsating through the air, making the area around it cold, like death. He clenches his hand into a fist and contains the mysterious mist like its nothing. 

He dodges all the fog daggers The Anxietor is shooting at him. I spring into action once I realize Chat isn’t making much progress with The Anxietor shooting at him non-stop. I dive into a barrel roll and grab my yo-yo. 

I wrap it around his hands and then slide through his legs, causing his hands to go with me and spinning The Anxietor into a flip. He lands on his back, dazed and breathless. I look closely and realize the chain around his neck that’s holding the hood around his neck is actually a necklace. 

“Chat! Use your cataclysm on the chain,” Chat bounds over to The Anxietor and taps the chain. It disintegrates into dust and a purple butterfly appears from it. As if it’s muscle memory, my finger slides over the top of the yo-yo and it opens to reveal a beautiful white light. I swing the yo-yo and capture the purple butterfly. The yo-yo closes around it and a white light flashes from inside. I tap the top and it opens to reveal a gorgeous pure white butterfly. It flies away, off into the distance. 

I walk over to what’s left of the bag of ice and throw it into the sky. “Miraculous Ladybug!” I yell and it explodes into brilliant streams of bright red lights. The flash zips from one place to the next, fixing everything back to the way it was before the fight. I look back over to where The Anxietor was lying, and there is a boy laying in his place. 

I recognize him from class. He was sitting next to Hugo. I wonder what happened that caused him to be akumatized. 

My earrings triple beep and I discern that it was time to go. “Bye Kitty!” I say before yo-yo-ing back to my house. “Bye m’lady!” He calls after me. My heart flutters and my face turns a bright red. I love that nickname.


	8. After Effects

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just so you know, the part with hawkmoth in it is something that Chat is imagining, it's not actually happening. Happy reading!

POV of Hugo

Going home, I still feel odd. I’m anxious and shaken. My chest feels like it’s being crushed under an unidentifiable weight. Why am I still full of anxiety? The Miraculous Ladybug thing should’ve fixed it, but the images are still floating around in my head. 

The scene was of Ladybug and I. We were fighting Hawk Moth in the final showdown. Everyone was in danger and it was our job to make sure they were safe. I could see Ladybug and Hawk Moth making threats to each other but all I could hear was a rush of blood in my ears. My limbs felt like lead and my vision was blurry. 

“Chat!” I heard a muffled voice cry out desperately. It was Ladybug, she was crumpled on the ground, wearily lifting her hand in my direction. I started to run towards her but it was like trying to run through jello. 

Before I got to her, Hawk Moth stood over her with staff in hand. He grabbed Ladybug and slung her over his shoulder. She was unconscious and I see why. It looked like someone took a club to the back of her head. It was bloody and raw, cracked all down the side. Hawk Moth turned towards me and said something that I couldn’t understand. They pointed their staff at me and I dropped to my knees. I hear Ladybug’s voice in my head. "You should’ve protected me. Why didn’t you protect me?" “I’m sorry-” I said in return, choking on the words. I kneeled there in the ruins of what used to be an amazing city. A city that I failed to protect. There was no Miraculous Ladybug to fix it now. I look to my left and my family was there, crushed under the rubble on the streets. 

“I finally got my revenge on the great Ladybug and Chat Noir. Not just the original, but their predecessors as well. Now there is nothing between me and absolute power.” I heard Hawk Moth’s voice echo in my head like a hundred gongs. “Stop, stop it! You can have me, just let everyone else go,” I remember saying. “I don’t want you,” they said disgustedly. “You failed, remember? I don’t want the weak, I only want the strong.” And with that they walked into the flames and I woke up, back with Ladybug and The Anxietor. 

I shake the memory from my head and try to think about something else, anything else. I get back and slip into my window. 

My dad is sitting there on my bed, waiting for me. He looks up at me with a look of pride in his eyes. 

“Hugo! Welcome back. I want to hear all about your first akuma and your new partner,” Immediately a smile spreads across my face. Dad isn’t home very often, but he makes sure that when he is, he makes time for me. He told me that his father was neglective and shallow. He didn’t love anyone but his wife, and she died when my dad was about seven. 

I walk over and sit down next to dad. He hands Plagg a piece of cheese and Plagg doesn’t even stop to say thank you. I can’t be too surprised though, that’s typical Plagg. 

“It was awful. I got hit right at the beginning of the fight. I passed out and got these- these....visions.” I explained the visions to him and I could see the stress on his face return as if he was actually at the battle between him and Hawk Moth again. “Ladybug had to dump a bag of ice on my head to snap me out of it. She basically did all the work. She figured out where the akuma was, she successfully dodged all of The Anxietor’s shots, and captured the akuma,” After that realization, I feel like a total loser. She‘s the rookie, I’ve been training forever for this. 

“Hey, it’s ok. In my first fight with your mother, she stood a good five hundred feet away from the fight. Also, I didn’t listen to Plagg’s warning about my cataclysm and I tried it on a soccer goal before I tried to attack the akuma. I ran all the way up to the giant stone monster’s feet and slammed my hand down onto his foot. I even said ‘Time to rumble soon to be rubble!’ as I charged at him. I kept picking up my hand putting it back down, trying to see if it would work. Your mother tried to warn me, but I didn’t listen. Then I got kicked all the way back to the soccer goal. She ended up saving my skin with her Lucky Charm.” 

We sat there for another five minutes talking and laughing at all the stupid things dad has done while in different battles. “Even Ladybugs make mistakes though. Your mother didn’t capture the akuma in our first battle. She almost gave up the position to Aunt Alya because of her one failure on her first try. I am so glad she didn’t because she probably wouldn’t be my wife and you wouldn’t be here.” He explains to me as he looks at me fondly and pats me on the back. 

“I’m going to go talk to mom. She’s probably worried sick.” I tell dad. “Ya, you’re probably right.” He sighs. We both get up and walk downstairs.


	9. The warm welcome....not

POV of Clara

I get back home and slip into my window. I transform back and flop onto my bed. I let out a deep breath as I try to absorb what just happened. "You ok Clara?" Tikki asks me as she hovers over my face. "Ya, I'm ok, it's just a lot to take in," I reassure her with a warm smile. 

“Clara! Guess who’s home.” My dad calls from the living room. My stomach drops and my head fills with dread. “Jules came back!” My dad yells, confirming my fears. 

I look at Tiki and she hides in the hood of my sweatshirt. I walk into the living room and my cold-hearted older sister is standing there. “Hello Clara,” she says coldly, without any expression, not even a smile. She looks at me with a calculating expression, as if she’s trying to figure if I am really worth the basic interactions that she is giving me. 

“That is a terrible outfit.” She says, then she turns her attention to her phone. ‘Wow, sis, I missed you too! No need to get so excited!’ I thought sarcastically. 

I look down at my outfit. A cropped sweatshirt and some yoga pants with cool mesh designs. I like this outfit. I frown and decide that I’m not going to change just because of my fashionista sister. Oh, I almost forgot to tell you all about my ‘fabulous’ sister. She decided about a year ago to take up this job in fashion design with some has-been. She hasn’t been back since. Not even a text or phone call has come from her either. Now she just shows up out of the blue. 

“What are you doing here, Jules?” I ask her just as coldly as her tone. “Am I not allowed to come home?” She frowns, knowing that there is no way I can argue against her. 

“How’s work?” I ask through gritted teeth. “It’s... optimal.” She decides. 

“What do you do?” I ask, now probing. She hates when people probe into her life. “Design, what else does a fashion designer do?” She says flatly. 

“Can I see some of your designs?” I ask her, just trying to get under her skin. “That’s a good idea, let’s see some of your work,” My dad chimes in. Knowing that I had won this battle is satisfaction enough. 

She opens up the camera on her phone and begins to scroll through the photos. She finds one and taps on it. It's a completely black dress with harsh angles and a stifling neckline. It looks like something that the bond villains would wear as they order henchmen around and meet with dangerous people. 

“Uhh, it’s… good.” I manage. “I know it’s good. Even someone like you can see that.” She spits at me. 

That’s it, that is the last straw! “I’m going for a skateboard ride, don’t wait up,” I tell them as I walk out and slam the door behind me. 

I ride and ride until I realize that it’s dark. I end up at my favorite tree. It’s a huge oak in a clearing not far off the road that I first met Chat Noir. I sit there and embrace the silence and then out of nowhere 

“What are you doing out here?” I yelp and jump. “Chat! You scared me!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that this chapter is so short, I just wanted to introduce Jules and this is how it turned out.


	10. The Game

POV of Hugo

“Sorry, princess. I didn’t mean to scare you.” I tell her as I climb down to the branch that she’s sitting on. “But you didn’t answer my question. What are you doing out here?” I ask her. 

Her shocked look hardens to an angry expression as she glares into the darkness. “My sister just came home. She’s been gone for a year…. we haven’t heard anything from her in a freaking year!” She says like the words are just now hitting her, throwing her hands up in the air and a light but sad chuckle coming after. 

“For the first few months, I missed her. Then I realized that she was an awful sister. I was never good enough for her. After my mom died, she was forced to grow up which made her distant and cold. She acted like our family was a business, strictly professional and ridged. There was no love between us anymore. Maybe that’s why she left, I don’t know.” Even in the dark, I could see tears swimming in her eyes as she kept her gaze on her hands that writhe in her lap. 

I can also see that she’s shivering and so I wrap my arms around her and place my hand on her’s. She tenses up under me, but then relaxes and leans into my side and stops fidgeting with her hands. “I am so sorry, Clara,” I whispered soothingly into her ear. “I need you to promise me something,” I tell her. She repositions so that she can look me in the eyes. She’s so close to me that I can feel her light breath against my neck. I want to kiss her so bad but I know that now is not the time. 

“Whatever you do, don’t get akumatized. I need you to stay safe. I don’t think I have it in me to fight you if you become akumatized. Just promise me ok?” I tell her. She searches my eyes and then finally nods. “I promise.” She says confidently. 

“Alright princess, let’s get you home, you have school in the morning and it’s getting kinda late,” I tell her. She jumps down from the tree and lands on the ground with a thump. I jump down and land next to her. 

“Chat, how did you find me?” She asks curiously. I can feel my cheeks turn bright red but I hope that the mask and the darkness are enough to cover it up. “I was just passing by on patrol and I saw you here.” I blatantly lie as I shrug. 

I really have been following her ever since she left her house. I just can’t get her out of my head! She is now my world and I don’t ever want to leave her. 

“Oh ok.” She says. “Do you want me to take you home?” I offer, wanting to spend more time with her. She just nods with a grateful smile and walks over to her skateboard. She picks it up and we walk back over to the road. 

We spend the rest of the walk back to her house laughing and joking, trying anything to make her feel better. About halfway to her house, she looks at me with a grin on her face. “Let’s play a game.” I look at her skeptically. “Ok…” 

“If I can guess something right about you, you have to tell me I’m right.” My heart starts to beat rapidly. “It depends on what you guess, Princess. Anything that pertains to my identity I cannot confirm. So keep away from the really prying ones.” I tell her. 

“Ok, first guess. You are in high school.” She says. I think about it for a second. There are tons of high schools all over town, I can tell her that. “Yes, I’m in high school.” 

“You are 16.” “Yes, I am 16.” 

“You are a straight A student.” “Ehh, kinda, some A’s but mostly B’s,” I tell her honestly. I look up the road and I can see we are almost to her house. 

“Ok, last one. I probably will never know who is really under that mask will I?” She asks sadly. “I wish I could tell you but I don’t really know if I can. It puts me and you at risk, not to mention everyone that I know and love. I’m sorry princess but I can’t tell you until Ladybug and I take down Hawk Moth.” I tell her. Trust me, if there is one person I want to tell, it’s her. 

“Good night princess, stay safe!” I tell her then I disappear into the trees.


	11. The Intel

POV of Clara

Going to school the next day was definitely hard. I was exhausted and I don’t think I could face Jacob after what happened. Knowing that he was going through such pain was enough for me to just break down and cry. What he did to Chat could possibly be his reality, the omni-present anxiety that always whispers in his ear that he will fail and everything will go wrong. He looked so ok in class yesterday and knowing that was just a mask makes me nervous. How many of my classmates are the same way? How many of them will I end up fighting? Will I be the one who ends up failing? 

"Clara?” Tikki asks from a pocket in my bag. “Are you ok?” She asks concerned. “Ya, I’ll be ok.” I decide, more for myself than giving tikki peace of mind. We pull up to school and I hop off my skateboard and walk inside. I scan the room and everyone is crowded around Jacob, asking him about the events of last night. 

“Are you a super villain?” “How do your powers work?” “Can you show us your costume?” My classmates bombard him with questions. “Woah! Slow down! I don’t really remember anything, just waking up on the street, confused. I have no idea how I got there.” He says. I sigh in relief because he doesn’t remember the fight. 

I look over to my seat and Hugo is sitting there, with a look on his face that screams ‘help me’. “Hugo? Are you ok?” I ask him placing a hand on his shoulder. He tenses and flinches away from me like he’s expecting me to attack him. His eyes dart to me in terror, but only for a split second. Then his facial features relax and he just looks… fake. “Oh, ya I’m fine.” He says putting on a million dollar smile, making his green eyes twinkle. I can tell that he’s giving me his camera smile but I don’t know him well enough to pry. “I just zoned out for a second,” he says with a light chuckle. “Uh, ok, but if you need to talk, about anything, come talk to me, ok?” Then his camera smile fades and he looks surprised. Then a genuine smile appears on his face and he looks so happy. “Thank you Clara, that’s uh, actually really nice of you.” he says shyly. “Of course, what are friends for?” I tell him, returning his smile. 

I slide down into my seat next to him. Then Aria walks over and sits down next to me. “Did you see what happened with Jacob? I got it on video!” She squeals excitedly. Both me and Hugo shout “What!?” Aria looks at us like we are crazy. “Yes, a video, are you guys ok?” I clear my throat and Hugo fiddles with his pencil case. “Ya, um, just show us the video,” I say, a little more calm now. I mean, how could she possibly recognize me in that costume and mask? 

Chat Noir and I jump down from the rooftops into the frame. I can see our lips moving but I can’t hear what we are saying. Then the Anxietor begins to speak to us in return, then the battle starts. The smoke daggers hit Chat in the chest and he collapses. I can feel Hugo cringe at my side, as if it actually hurt him. I look over at Hugo who is starring in horror at the events being displayed on the screens in front of him. Then I turn my attention back to the video. I watch myself this time as I catch the bag of ice in my hands, I only stop for a split second before I jump back into action, trying to doge the smoke daggers. 

At this point, Jacob notices us and pulls away from all of the students who are theorizing what this could have meant. He walks up, eyes fixed on the screen. His face looks horrified. “I-I… I did that?” He says, voice cracking. Aria slams her phone down on the table and looks at Jacob with a sorry expression. “I’m so sorry Jacob. I-I didn’t mean-” “No its fine, I want to see it.” Jacob interrupts her, stone faced. 

She picks the phone back up slowly and then presses play. The battle begins again and I had just tied Jacob’s hands together and then I run over to Chat. I pour the bag of ice on his head and then he wakes up. We exchange a few words and I remember the feel of his gloved hand on my cheek and a blush makes its way across my face. Then Chat goes running into battle and I grab his tail and then I let go of the yo-yo. 

Hugo isn't looking at the screen anymore and it looks like this is hurting him. I move over and lightly lean into his arm. He seems to lean into me in return, but still doesn’t look at the screen. But his facial features change and he looks more at peace. Soon the video is over and Jacob looks like a wreck. Aria gets up and lets him take seat. 

“Do you remember anything from last night?” Aria asks. Jacob thinks long and hard about it and then he takes in a sharp breath as he remembers something. “There was voice in my head,” He starts. “She was telling me what to do, where to go. She mentioned pieces of jewelry… or something like that,” I know exactly what he's talking about, Hawk Moth is after our miraculouses again. 

“Wait did you say she?” Hugo butts in. “Ya, it was a woman’s voice. Why?” Jacob confirms. “Oh, uh, no reason. I have to use the bathroom, I'll be back,” Hugo gets up abruptly and rushes out of the classroom. 

“All right class, settle down! I know last night’s events were exciting but that is no reason to act like this in the classroom,” Mrs. Dodds interjects with a shrill voice. The chatter quiets to a murmur and students sit down. “Ok, open to page ten in your notebooks,” I look down in my bag to grab my notebook and Tikki is there, waving to get my attention. “Psst, Clara!” I lean down to hear what she needs to say. 

“Chat is trying to contact you, go to the supply closet in the hall and transform,” I look around to make sure no one heard or saw Tikki. Then wave for her to hide in my coat pocket. 

“Ma’am! I have to grab something from my locker,” I tell Mrs. Dodds. She sighs, “Ok, but be quick!” I walk out of the classroom and run to the closet. “Spots on!” I transform and there is a message left on my yo-yo. 

‘Ladybug, I have just come across some intel on Hawk Moth. It turns out that Hawk Moth is a woman, not a man like previously thought. This will help us search for her and finally defeat her. Also, have a good rest of your day at school! -Chat Noir’ I stare at the screen, shocked. How did he know already? The only one that knew is Jacob…

I decide to message him back. If he heard it from Jacob, then that means… Chat Noir is in my class. ‘How did you find out that Hawk Moth is a woman?’ The little bubble appears on the screen that tells me he’s typing. 

‘I have intel people that give me tips on crime but that's not important, what's important is that we have this information and it’s a step closer to finding her,’ I sigh relieved that Chat Noir isn’t in my class and that he found out a different way other than hearing it from Jacob. 

‘Ok I have to go, see you when the next akuma comes!’ and with that, Chat signs off. I detransform and walk back to class.


	12. The Beach Trip

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!  
> I just want to say I am so sorry for being gone for so long. Exam season hit me like a truck and I was having a hard time finding the energy and motivation to write. I am off for summer break so I want to start releasing chapters every Wednesday. I may not be able to do that every Wednesday of the summer, seeing as I will be out of the country and at camps throughout the summer. I will update you on when I will be leaving in the update before I leave. Thank you for sticking with me. Without further ado, here is chapter 12!

I love living on the coast. When the weather gets nice, all my friends and I go to the beach. But it's different this year; Clara will be there too! All together, Aria, Jacob, Clara and I load up into Aria’s Jeep and begin to chatter excitedly about all the things we could do today.

“I hope there is at least one snow cone stand,” Aria says as she puts the keys in the ignition and revs the engine to life. “No way, ice cream is so much better than some ice and unnaturally colored flavoring,” Jacob counters. Aria scoffs and hits him playfully on the shoulder. “I hope there is beach volleyball,” Clara coos excitedly.

Driving there wasn’t bad, it was fun to belt out songs with them and complain about our teachers. It was really easy to forget the past couple of days and everything that had suddenly flooded into my life. Threats from Hawkmoth, a new Ladybug, and Clara.

Aria pulls into a spot in front of the pier and I cut my train of thought short. I get out and hold out my hand to help Clara out of the back seat. She takes it and looks at me with a grateful smile. I grab my bag and sunglasses and run to catch up with Aria and Jacob who are already halfway down the pier.

We soon reach the sand and it burns under my bare feet. I tread lightly and quickly until I reach the much cooler, more compact sand. We find a spot amongst the crowds of people. I guess we weren’t the only ones who noticed the warmer weather.

“Sunscreen first!” Aria reminds us. Jacob groans and rolls his eyes “Yes, mother,” he replies snarkily. Aria just sticks her tongue out in reply. I take off my shirt and pull out my sunscreen from my bag. I apply it to my face, chest, arms, and legs. I try to apply it to my back, but I can’t reach. I look up and see that Jacob is helping Aria with hers, and he looks like he’s about to die at the sight of Aria’s bikini and I stifle a chuckle. Then I realize that Clara is the only one who could help me. Nope, it's ok, I’ll just get skin cancer, its fine.

“Do you want me to get your back?” Clara asks, noticing me standing there with the sunscreen in my hands. “Uh….. sure?” _NO what are you doing?!_ I scream at myself. She grabs the bottle from my hands and begins to rub it into my back. She doesn't make it feel awkward at all, in fact, it’s surprisingly soothing. Her hands glide smoothly across my back as she spreads the sunblock. After about thirty seconds she stops.

“Ok, all finished, can you do mine now?” She holds out the bottle in her hand. I nod and take the bottle from her. She turns around and sweeps her long, black hair to the side. I can feel that my cheeks are bright red as I begin to massage the sun lotion onto her back. I finish as quickly as I can, not wanting to make this awkward. She mumbles out a thank you and starts running for the water. I follow and come rushing into the water, the waves slowing me down significantly.

Aria and Jacob splash me in the face and chest for soaking them on the way in. A few seconds later and we are in a full-blown water fight. Everyone is thrashing about in the water, trying to hit anyone with any water they can. We soon tire ourselves out and just float in the salty water, letting the waves rock us gently. “This is so nice,” Aria breaks the silence. “Yeah…” Clara says wistfully.

“Is that?” Aria asks while she squints at the shoreline. “It is! A snow cone stand!” She squeals in delight, a huge smile spreading across her face. Jacob gags in response. Clara and Aria look at each other with grins on their faces and then run off to go get snow cones.

“What ‘cha staring at?” Jacob asks from behind me. “Oh….uh, nothing,” I tell him. “You were looking at Clara, weren’t you?” He questions me. “Uh….” _Busted_ “I know you like her, like, really like her. You don’t need to hide it from me man, we’re best friends,” He says as he places a hand on my shoulder. I sigh and give in. “Ok, ya, I like Clara, but I happen to know that you and Aria would make a great match,” I jab him playfully in the side with my elbow. “Wha- wait- no! Aria?” He sputters. I burst out laughing at his reddened face and dodging eyes. “Yes, Aria and judging by that reaction, I _know_ you’re into her,” He pouts and crosses his arms. “

What's going on here?” Aria asks as she strolls up, licking her snow cone, Clara right beside her. I’m too stunned to speak. Clara looks _hot_ as she licks her cherry flavored snow cone, tinting her tongue and lips a bright shade of red. Judging by the silence from Jacob, he’s thinking the same thing about Aria and her orange and mango flavored cone. “Guys? What’s wrong? Do I have snow cone on my face?” Clara asks. “Oh- um… nothing’s wrong, and no, you look great- I mean! There’s nothing on your face,” I respond as a stuttering mess. The girls just look at each other and shrug.

After more fun in the sun, and lots of sunblock breaks, brought to you by yours truly, Aria, we decided to pack up and go to dinner. Today has been amazing and I can’t think of anything that could make this day any better.


End file.
